


'Can we be boyfriends?'

by MrMusings



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-04 21:11:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12779589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrMusings/pseuds/MrMusings
Summary: Set just after the Snow Ball. Hopper finally allows Mike and Eleven to talk alone. At a lake in the middle of nowhere. Under his supervision of course.





	'Can we be boyfriends?'

Mike caught Hopper’s eye in the rear-view mirror and averted his gaze to the scenery flying past the window outside. Eleven was oblivious to the silent exchange between the two as she glanced at the world outside the truck, constantly absorbing new surroundings she’d never seen before.

‘So you remember what I said right?’ Hopper spoke in a familiar drawl after a few minutes of silence. The question hung in the air and Mike knew damn well that he was obligated to speak first.

‘Be back in an hour.’ Mike caught Hopper’s eye again and swallowed. ‘Sir.’ He added quickly at the end. 

‘And no funny business, I’ll be around.’ Hopper muttered from the front seat, embarrassment now lacing his tone. 

‘I still don’t understand what’s funny about it.’ El finally spoke from her seat next to Mike. Her hand rested in the middle of the backseat, fingers splayed out against the car seat in silent invitation which Mike pointedly ignored in the presence of Hopper. 

‘Don’t be a smartass.’ Hopper grumbled, his tone always betrayingly softer with his adopted daughter. 

After what seemed like forever the truck finally came to a stop. Mike was eager to escape the stuffy interior of the vehicle and quickly jumped down, the shale crunching beneath his feet as he landed on the shore of the lake. 

‘Pretty.’ Eleven murmured quietly to herself as she took in the huge expanse of the lake in front of her. It was a clear, still day and the tips of the fir trees were perfectly mirrored at the water’s edge. She turned her eyes on Mike to tell him about it but he was looking at her instead of the lake. 

‘Right, I’m going to leave you guys to it. Don’t dawdle and don’t chat to any strangers.’ Hopper said gruffly already climbing into the passenger seat of the truck and unfolding his newspaper.

‘Thanks Hop.’ Eleven said softly and Mike saw the corners of Hopper’s mouth twitch in what was his version of a smile. 

Eleven took Mike’s hand which he quickly snatched back, fearful under Hopper’s gaze as the two of them headed towards the trail which surrounded the lake. 

They didn’t speak much at first. Mike was aware of Hopper’s eyes burning into the back of his head as they continued the trail. However, as they disappeared out of view he slowly began to breathe normally again which quickly stuttered in his throat when his and El’s fingers brushed against one another as they walked. 

‘El…’ Mike finally decided to speak first knowing that she wouldn’t. He hated how hoarse his voice sound, it probably sounded weird to her now after nearly a year away from him. ‘…Where did you go? After the Upside Down, I mean.’

‘Into the woods.’ Eleven replied simply and Mike felt like his heart fell into his shoes as his mind conjured up all types of trouble she could have gotten herself into in the wilderness of Indiana. 

‘Why didn’t you come and find me?’ Mike asked, trying to sound nonchalant but the desperation in his voice and punctuation of the word me betrayed him anyway. 

‘Too dangerous. Eyes everywhere.’ 

‘But – but…’

‘Mike.’

Eleven had stopped now and had turned to face him, noticeably shorter than his now lanky form but the way her dark eyes bore into him made him feel tiny.

‘I had to…protect you.’ She took a moment to find the right words, picturing Hopper’s face in her mind as she recalled the screaming matches, the psychic tantrums and the eventual justification. ‘From the bad men.’

‘353 days El…’ Mike couldn’t stop the words spilling from his mouth or the tears pooling in his eyes and he felt like a moron. She had done so much for him. Saved his life god only knows how many times now and yet he still hurt. 

‘I know.’ El replied, the emotion finally breaking through in her voice as her eyes glazed. She took Mike’s hand and he felt no fear of Hopper this time as he gazed down at her.

‘I threw a book at Hopper.’ Eleven blurted out, the memory of their fights still at the forefront of her mind which scrambled her thoughts. 

‘You what?’ Mike replied, trying to hide the amusement in his voice. 

‘A book. I think it’s called a dict-shon-ree.’

‘Dictionary? It’s a book of words and what they mean.’

‘Yes one of those!’

‘But why?’

‘I was mad at him. He wouldn’t let me see you.’

‘Yeah he told me that part.’ Mike recalled from the night at the Buyers, still unable to fully process the fact that Hopper had gone a year without saying a damn thing. 

‘Please don’t be mad.’ El squeezed Mike’s hand and any anger beneath Mike’s skin evaporated instantly. She was getting too good at reading him. 

‘I’m not. And I never would be at you. Ever.’ 

‘Mike?’

‘Yes El?’ He replied, secretly hoping she never stopped asking him questions about everything.

‘What’s a boyfriend?’

‘Why do you ask?’ Mike flushed as he surveyed El who was now pouting at him with her brow furrowed. 

‘Because Hopper said you were my boyfriend but then wouldn’t tell me what it meant!’ She muttered in a rush.

‘What!? I’m not your…’ Mike squeaked in surprise, trailing off when he saw the look of confusion on Eleven’s face. 

‘Is it bad?’

‘Well no it’s just – it’s just something special that’s all.’

‘Why?’

Mike chewed his lip, trying to find the right words. ‘A boyfriend is a guy you really really like. And you only have one…well most of the time.’ He added quickly at the end trying to shake Nancy, Steve and Jonathan from his thoughts. 

‘How do you know if you really really like someone?’ El asked and Mike noticed she was twisting her hands nervously now. He wanted to reach out and grab them but his were trembling.

‘I guess you want to be with them all the time, like a friend but more, you feel like you want to kiss them and stuff.’ Mike said all in a rush, looking at the floor as Eleven stepped towards him, the curls of her hair just falling into her eyes in a way which made him want to reach out and brush them away with his fingertips.

‘Mike?’

‘Yes?’

‘Can we be boyfriends?’

Mike barked out a laugh in surprise and Eleven looked horrified, her eyes filling with tears as she tried to place the dejected sensation she felt in the pit of her stomach. 

‘No no El! Don’t be sad!’ Mike quickly sobered, taking her hands and drawing her towards him, having to crane his neck down to be eye level with her. ‘You just made me laugh because you said the wrong thing. That was mean I’m sorry.’

‘Oh no it’s okay.’ El replied, her face burning with embarrassment now which was another relatively new emotion for her. 

‘We would be boyfriend and girlfriend. Boyfriend is just what you would call me – cos’ I’m the boy.’ Mike cracked a goofy grin at that and Eleven felt like her heart was about to beat straight out of her chest. 

‘I would like that.’ 

‘Me too.’

The words had barely left Mike’s mouth and Eleven’s lips were on his. He couldn’t breathe or think or do anything but just stand there like an idiot until he forced himself to move and gently cupped her cheek in his hand, practically feeling her sigh against him in relief. It was suitably chaste and they broke apart after a second or two but Mike could feel the thrum of it all over his body and Eleven felt like the static from all the televisions on the planet had been transferred into her lips. 

Eleven felt suitably overwhelmed so she was secretly relieved when Mike took her hand and allowed them to continue their walk as she tried to process all the thoughts and feelings she was having about him all at once.

‘Have you ever seen Star Wars?’ He asked after a minute or two, still sounding a little breathless.

‘What’s a ‘Star Wars’?’ She replied, wrinkling her nose at the way the phrase sounded alien to her. 

‘Oh jeez do I have stories to tell you.’ Mike replied animatedly and Eleven thought to herself, yes, this is a boyfriend.


End file.
